1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the actuation of at least one switch with reinforced safety.
This switch is designed especially to be mounted in a housing such as an operating handle which may be, for example, on board an aircraft and especially in a helicopter, and may be used as a control handle. The switch is designed to control an element of the aircraft. This operating handle may be used in a flight simulator or in a video game or in a ground vehicle.
A handle of this kind generally comprises a body generally adapted to the ergonomic requirements of a hand and, in addition to the actuating device of one or more switches, it may possibly have one or more pushbuttons controlling various elements. It may be tilted in various positions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A standard actuation device is shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. It has a pivoting lever 1 which the operator actuates between two stable positions. This actuation may be done by means of the operator's thumb and index finger. The lever has two main faces 8, 9, namely a first active face 8 and a second inactive face 9.
In a first position of the lever 1, called a working position, its first main face 8 gets applied to the control element 3 or pushbutton for one or more switches 4 housed in the body 2 of the handle 10. This position is illustrated in FIG. 1a. By pressing the lever 1, the operator can turn the switches 4 on or off. In this position, the lever 1 is shown as being pointed in a substantially vertical direction. After pivoting by about 270.degree., its second main face 9 rests on the body 2 of the handle 3. FIG. 1b shows this configuration. The lever 1 is shown as being directed substantially horizontally in FIG. 1b and lies in a hollow 5 of the handle 10. This position of the lever 1 is said to be an idle position.
In the two figures, the lever 1 is also shown in an intermediate position between the idle position and the working position.
For reasons of safety, the switches 4 cannot be actuated directly by the operator's finger. The pushbuttons 3 for the switches 4 form no projection outside the body 2 of the handle 10. The lever 1 is fitted out on its first main face 8, which is active in the working position, with projecting pads 6 designed to actuate the pushbuttons 3. A collapsible spring-based mechanism or pump 7 may be interposed between a pad 6 and a pushbutton 3. This pump 7, which is known to those skilled in the art, makes it possible to overcome problems related to the travel of the pushbutton and the force that is applied to it, in order to be sure of putting the switch into action without damaging it. The travel of the pushbutton must be precise: it should not be too short or too long and the force should be moderate so that the actuation is reliable.
It has been observed that the actuation of a switch of this kind could be a source of insecurity. In flight, the pilot has his hand permanently on the piloting handle and he is the only one who can take account of the position of the lever and especially of the idle position. This knowledge is generally tactile. No other person can acquire this information reliably, because the operator's hand, placed on the handle, prevents the lever from being seen.
To improve the safety of the handling operation, the present invention is aimed at bringing about a sharing of this information. This sharing can be done with the copilot who may, as the case may be, take action in the event of failure on the part of the pilot. This sharing can also be done with a computer that carries out flight management and can combine this information with other pieces of information to authorize or not authorize the pilot to undertake a particular action, for example to tilt the handle in one direction or another to begin a new stage of flight, actuate one of the pushbuttons or even actuate the lever to put it in the working position. In the fields of simulation or games, the computer used may also need this information.